Pasta, Basic Tomato Sauce & Bruschetta!

FYI- the cast iron cleaned up so easily;-. Not using it tonight. It's been a long day and I want something delicious yet quick. Tonight I am in the mood for a basic marinara/ tomato sauce with pasta and bruschetta (pronounced brew-sketta), meaning roasted over coals. Let's get started- luckily for me I had some frozen sauce that I thawed yesterday. Chef Mario Batali is an amazing chef and his recipes are really simple. I love to make Chef Batali's basic tomato sauce, you can find the recipe on Food Network, and search tomato sauce.  FYI- if you can you must use the canned San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes- trust me they are so good you could just eat them from the can. I want meat tonight, so I just browned 1/2 lb Laura's Lean ground beef (4% fat) and 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage. Drain the fat off after it browns. You could also sauté mushrooms in a little olive oil if you prefer a meatless meal. Btw, you should invest in a nice extra virgin olive oil (cold pressed or 1st pressed)I really like the "Primo" brand. It's not overly expensive about $20 for 20oz and it has a really nice rich flavor and not too fruity. Ok add your sauce to your meat and simmer, get pasta going. The bruschetta is one of Mario's recipes too and I like it so much. I like to use a crusty bread, Kroger has a "pugliese" and Panera has a peasant loaf that I like to use. Slice your bread in 1" slices. I've grilled it on the gas grill, on the stove top in a grill pan and i've used my Panini press which I like best, but you can toast it, bake it however you like it. You're looking for a nice golden brown or grill marks. While your bread is doing it's thing, peel a clove of garlic, get out some kosher salt and your olive oil. When your bread is to your liking, take your garlic clove and rub it on the bread, drizzle your olive oil over it and sprinkle with kosher salt. That's it! So simple , yet so delicious. I'm hungry, so let's eat! Serve up the pasta w/ your basic tomato and meat sauce, grate some Parmigiano Reggiano over top and some crushed red pepper for a touch of heat, grab a slice of bruschetta and a nice glass of chianti. Bon Appetito!!